Stud and Wellington Roads Intersection to be upgraded under Liberal-Nationals

Mr WELLS (Rowville) (09:54:02) — I am incredibly pleased with the announcement last week by the Leader of the Opposition that the Stud and Wellington roads intersection in Rowville will be upgraded under the Liberal-Nationals’ $5.3 billion plan to grade separate 55 of the busiest intersections in Melbourne and Geelong.

As part of the biggest congestion-busting project in Victoria’s history, the Liberal-National coalition have identified 35 intersections for grade separation. A further 20 projects will be decided on after community consultation. Replacing the traffic lights at Stud and Wellington roads with a grade-separated intersection will have a huge benefit for Knox residents. It will make life easier for parents taking their kids to school at St Simon the Apostle Primary School, Heany Park Primary School, Rowville Primary School and Rowville Secondary College; drivers getting to work on the Monash and EastLink freeways; and local residents doing their shopping at Stud Park and Wellington Village shopping centres.

Labor’s failure to invest a cent in the Knox arterial road network is taking its toll. Our outer eastern suburbs are growing rapidly. Residents tell me traffic congestion has never been worse. Labor’s shameful scrapping of the much-needed east–west link put infrastructure development on hold for four years and wasted $1.3 billion. Making room for our growing population is only possible with better roads, and this announcement shows that only the Liberal-Nationals have a plan to help outer eastern suburbs like Knox.